We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Poetryteacher a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Poetryteacher , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

One of my most meaningful projects to date would be my apparel brand, Words Are Food™️. I started WAF about 4 years ago and I am more proud of it every year. I can see it’s clear evolution and I still have so many cool ideas for my brand. I think it’s my most meaningful because the consistency and discipline it takes to create something and keep it relevant can sometimes be difficult. So I’m glad I’ve had the energy and motivation to keep it popping for the last few years and Im excited to see how far it can go.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

A little about myself, I am a Louisiana native and have resided in Dallas, Texas for the past 15 years. I started performing as a poet in Dallas in 2003 when Crystalls in Arlington and Sankofa Cafe on MLK were the hot spots and shortly after coined the artist name, Poetryteacher. Since that time I’ve opened up for legendary hip hop group, Slum Village, I’ve been named Dallas’ one RAW artist and have performed on the RAW stage 3 times since it’s conception. I’ve toured as a spoken word artist in various cities such as Chicago, Mississippi, Atlanta and Washington DC to name a few and have had the pleasure of performing in London, UK with the “The Floacist” of widely known R&B group Floetry called, Flo Vortex. In 2018 I started an apparel brand called Words Are Food™️ which features lifestyle clothing such as hoodies, tees and crop tops and joggers.

I think what sets me apart from other creatives is my in-depth vision for my art and my willingness to create through intuition.

I’m most proud of my ability to stay in a lane I created. I’m proud that I can make art without the burden of needing to be like everyone else or move at the speed in which other artists seem to be moving. I’m proud that I can make art and products that the world can appreciate and feel good about.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me the most rewarding aspect of being an artist is seeing the people out there wear my clothing and hearing my name positively spoken in rooms whether I’m there or not. It feels good to know that I can make an impact in the creative community and I’ve upheld a standard of respect and love that is widely shown to me.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I had known more about teaching artist work and grants for black artists as a resource earlier in my journey. Most if not all of my journey (and probably lots of other artists) is funded out of pocket. Sometimes that can stifle creativity when there aren’t enough resources to put out a product or project. Luckily these resources are becoming more and more accessible and that’s a great thing for the entrepreneur in this era.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.poetryteacherapparel.com
• Instagram: Iampoetryteacher
• Facebook: Poetryteacher presents: The Series
• Twitter: Poetryteacher
• Youtube: Bossgirlthaace